Antiskid-chain for automobiles-tires.



: 991,286.- Patented May 2,1911.

0. FALKENWALDE.

ANTISKID 01mm r01; AUTOMOBILE TIRES. APPLICATION FILED APB.13, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR FALKENWALDE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE SNAP-0N TIRE CHAIN COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A. CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

ANTISKID-CHAIN FOR AUTOMOBILE-TIRES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR FALKENWALDE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Antiskid-Chains for Automobile- Tires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved anti-skid chain device for the tires of automobiles.

An anti-skid chain much used comprises two chains each of which has its ends fastened together to form a ring-shaped chain; these two ring-chains are placed one at one side of the tire, and the other at the opposite side, and numerous short chains cross over the tire and connect with said two ring chains. gives rise to trouble when on the road.

One object of the present invention is to i provide an improved single or individual cross-chain each end of which shall be attached to a separate half-clamp so that when the two ha1f-clamps are so placed as to surround the spoke of a Wheel the cross-chain will be securely held over the tread of the tire.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a side view showing a broken portion of awheel-rim, tire and one spoke, with the improved anti-skid chain in position. Fig. 2 is a cross-section view of the wheel-rim and tire, and also-shows the antiskid chain device in position.' Fig. 3 is a view of the spoke-clamp with the parts in fastened position. Fig. 4 shows the two parts of the spoke-clamp se arated.

Referrin now to the rawings the numeral, 1, esignates the wheel-run; 2, the

rubber tire, and, 3, a spoke of the wheel.

The anti-skid chain device, briefly, comprises a shortchain,4, to extend cross-wise of the tire; two half-clamps, 5, 6, which are separable and adapted, when to ether to clip around aspoke, 3, of the wheel, and

- each half-clamp attached to a different end of said cross-chain, 4. Thus constructed the spoke-clamp holds the cross-chain securely in position on the tire; and by opening the clam and separating the two parts thereof, the c ain may be qulckly removed.

To more particularly describe the con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 13, 1910.

This device is 'cumbersome and Patented May 2 1911.

Serial No. 555,218.

struction of the anti-skid chain device it may be stated, that each half clamp, 5, and, 6, is preferably covered on its concave face with leather or some suitable elastic ma terial, 7, to prevent defacing the painted wheel-spoke. A rivet, 23, or other means may be used to fasten the sheet of elastic material, 7, to the said concave face. One half-clamp, 5, has at one end a tongue, 8, and a shoulder, 9, at each side of the tongue; the other end of the same half-clamp has a notch or slot, 10. The other half-clamp, 6, has at one end a cross-slot, 11, which receives the tongue, 8, and its other end has a coil, 12, that incloses a pin, 13 a slot, 14, is cut crosswise of the said coil, and a screw, 15, has for its head an eye, 16, that is held loosely in said. slot, let, by the pin, 13, passing through said eye; thus the screw, 15, is capable of swinging, and may. swing into and out of the end notch or slot, 10, and a nut, 17, on the screw will hold the two half-clamps tightly around a spoke.

tend in a direction cross-wise of the wheel but will extend in a direction co-incident with the vertical plane of the wheel. By thus making provision whereb the ends of the spoke clamp will not PI'OJBClJ from the sides of the wheel, there is an avoidance of liability for the said clamps, when the wheel is revolving, to strike stones and other obstacles on the road and thereby be broken. In this clamp the ends of the cross-chain, 4, are attached to the center and midway of the ends of the two half clam s, 5, 6. In the present instance each hal -clamp has two eyes or loops, 18, which are at the upper edges of said half-clamps and midway of the ends thereof; these two eyes are separated' by a space, 19; and a pin, 20, passes through said two eyes, and a loose sleeve, 21, is on said pin and fills the space, 19. The crosschain, 4, is attached to the half-clamp by one ofthe chain links, 24, coupling on the. loose sleeve, which is held by the said pin,

The cross chain, 4, may be in direct-icon tact with the rubber tire, but I deem it better to protect the rubber tire from abrasion by interposing a sheet of leather, 25, or other suitable material and securing it between the chain and tire. To carry this idea out, the leather, 25, may be attached to or be integral with the leather, 7, covering the concave face of the half-clamp, and then this strip of leather or other material may extend from one half-clamp, under the chain, to the other half-clamp, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be seen by a person conversant with the use of chains to prevent automobile wheels from skidding that any number of the devices herein shown and described may be applied to the wheel-limited only by the number of spokes; that this device may be quickly applied to and removed from the wheel; that it will secure positive traction, and that any probability of the cross-chain injuring the rubber tire is minimized.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. An anti-skid device for vehicle wheels 'having a two-part separable clamp, a chain to cross the wheel tire and having one end attached to one clamp-part and the other end attached to the other clamp-part, and a flexible material at the inner face of each clamp part and projecting outwardly therefrom and beyond the connected ends of the chain.

2. An anti-skid device for vehicle wheels having a two-part separable clamp, a chain to cross the wheel tire and having one end attached to one clamp-part and its other end attached to the other clamp part, and a 

